Vynecrest to celebrate 40 years in business this weekend!

Join us July 19 & 20 as we celebrate our 40th anniversary in conjunction with Christmas in July. We will have a tent set up in the picnic area, awesome food pairings and live music Saturday and Sunday. More details can be found below.

It is that time of year again - July 17 through July 20, mention this blog post and get 25% off 12 or more bottles. For customers who can't make it to the winery, we are offering free shipping on 6 or more bottles during the same time period, July 17 - 20. No discount code is needed at checkout; you just need to have 6 or more bottles in your cart. This discount applies to online orders only; phone-in orders will be subject to normal shipping prices.

July Specials 
- Wine of the Month - Lemberger - additional 10% off*
- 3 Pack of the Month - 3 Autumn Gold $25*

*available at winery only

Upcoming Events at the Winery

July 17 - Macungie Farmer's Market, Memorial Park, 4 - 7 pm

July 17-20 - Christmas in July, 25% off a case or more (at winery only)

July 19 & 20 - Anniversary Weekend, 11 am - 5 pm

You are cordially invited to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Vynecrest Vineyards & Winery

* Tent will be set up in the picnic area

* Live music in the tent: The Rotten Apples 1:30 - 4:30 pm on Saturday, and AMoS Duo (guitars) 1:30 - 4:30 pm on Sunday

Food for purchase from The Fud Truk coordinated to complement our wines:

• Spicy Sweet Chili chicken Wrap - Crisp Chicken, tender bib lettuce & Traminette pickled carrots and red onio
• Peppery Arugula Wrap - Herb Boursin cheese, fresh orange segments & dried cherries tossed w/Chardonnay vinaigrette
• Hickory Smoked Bratwurst - served on a crusty roll w/caramelized onion Chambourcin marmalade
• Tender Short Rib Sandwich  - Lemberger-braised short rib topped with creamy Brie & spicy Arugula
• Grilled Cheese - smoked Gouda & roasted red peppers & Summertime Red Chimichurri spread

Hot Dogs - Because you gotta have hot dogs

July 24 - Macungie Farmer's Market, Memorial Park, 4 - 7pm

July 26 & 27 - Wine on the Mountain

Hit the road and head to Penn’s Peak in nearby Jim Thorpe for this festival which includes wine samplings from the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail wineries in your own commemorative glass. Relax with a glass of wine on the panoramic outdoor deck with a view of Beltzville Lake and the Pocono Mountains. Or stay inside in air conditioned comfort while listening to live musical entertainment.

Browse through the displays from local artisans and crafters selling handmade décor, accessories, and food items. Or purchase food to pair with your wine from the Penn’s Peak kitchens.

All of the wineries will also be selling wine by the bottle and the case to take home with you. So come prepared to shop. Live musical entertainment will be provided both days. Tickets are required for this event. The event hours are noon – 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

TICKETS: $15 in advance or $20 at the door the weekend of the event. (Tickets are good for ONE day of the event, not both days.)

WHERE TO BUY: Tickets for Wine on the Mountain are now on sale via EventBrite (credit card only) here, and also at our nine member wineries (cash only) for in-person sales.

July 27 - Vineyard & Winery Tour at noon, $5 per person

July 31 - Macungie Farmer's Market, Memorial Park, 4 - 7pm

Upcoming Events at Vynecrest on Main in Kutztown

July 18 & 19 - Anniversary weekend celebration

Anniversary weekend: light appetizers from Wholesome Food, live music, and plenty of wine. Come celebrate with us from noon - 6 pm. Live music starts at 4 pm. Drawings will be held every hour to celebrate our event.

July 25 - Painting with Wine

Join us for a glass of wine, light appetizers from Wholesome Food, and wine glass to paint. $15 per person reservations a must. Price includes a glass of wine, a small appetizer plate, paints, brushes, one “empty” wine glass, and instruction. Aprons not provided. Painting a glass will not last three hours. You may come anytime with in the three hour time slot. RSVP by July 24 at sheri@vynecrest.com or 484-641-5149.

July 26 - A Summer Evening to Wine

Join us Saturday night for wine, appetizers from the Kutztown Tavern, and live music. Relax inside or on our back patio and enjoy the sounds of the season. The evening festivities will last from 5 - 8pm at $12 per person. Reservations a must. Email your RSVP to sheri@vynecrest.com or call 484-641-5149.

Vynecrest celebrates Christmas in July

Christmas in July
It is that time of year again: July 18-21 mention this blog post and get 25% off the purchase of 12 or more bottles.

For customers who can't make it to the winery, we are offering free shipping on six or more bottles during the same time period. No discount code needed at checkout, you just need to have six or more bottles in your cart. (This discount applies to online orders only; phone-in orders will be subject to normal shipping prices.)

New Releases 
2012 Cabernet Franc

July Specials 
* Wine of the Month - Sparkling Vidal - additional 10% off
* 3 Pack of the Month - DiVyne Red or Niagara, any combination $25
*available at winery only

Upcoming Events

• July 6 - Vynecrest Winery will be conducting a wine tasting at Evergreen German Club in Fleetwood at 7 pm. Open to the public, $10 per person, includes six wine tastings accompanied by cheese and meat, and one glass of wine. Email mthdmom@comcast.net for reservations.
• July 11, 18 and 25  - Macungie Farmer's Market, Memorial Park, 4 - 7 pm
• July 27 and 28 - Wine on the Mountain, Penn's Peak  - Lehigh Valley Wine Trail's annual wine festival. Tickets in advance (sold at the winery and on line at www.lehighvalleywinetrail.com) $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Noon to 5 pm both days. Air conditioned venue, live music, local artisans and vendors. All eight Lehigh Valley Wine Trail wineries will be there!
• July 29 
• Jazz Sunday - Live Jazz music in the Vyneskeller, 1- 4 pm 
• Vineyard and Winery Tour with the winemaker, 1 pm, $5 per person
• August 1 and 8 - Macungie Farmer's Market, Memorial Park, 4 - 7 pm

Glass Half Empty by Jan Landis

No Farms, No Wine

As a kid coming back from the Jersey shore, stopping at a farm stand on the way home was part of the vacation experience, almost like picking up souvenirs - tomatoes, corn, peaches, etc.

In the past 20 years, in the name of progress, we seem determined to pave over and develop every acre of farmland. However, the farm-to-table movement has now become popular and small truck farmers gather in local farmers' markets to sell their produce.

For the past five seasons, we have been fortunate to be a part of this groundswell at the Macungie Farmers Market every Thursday from 4-7 pm in the Macungie Memorial Park. It's a terrific group of farmers and vendors, all offering local foodstuffs - from freshly picked vegetables and fruit in season, to quiches, cupcakes, baked beans, and of course wine!

Buy Fresh Buy Local Greater Lehigh Valley is a grass roots country-wide organization promoting local farm products. It promotes various farmers markets in the Lehigh Valley, as does the PA Preferred program. When our family goes to Maine in the fall, we always visit the local Brunswick Farmers Market on Tuesdays and Fridays, but unfortunately they don't have wine.

Come out and support these local markets, and bring home souvenirs from your staycation this summer. Believe me, you and your family will benefit by eating these wonderful, fresh, local products. Now that's progress!

Celebrate Christmas in July at Vynecrest, July 19 - 22

Christmas in July

It is that time of year again at Vynecrest! July 19 through July 22 mention this promotion, and get 25% off 12 or more bottles. For our customers who can't make it to the winery, we are offering free shipping on 6 or more bottles during the same time period, July 19 through 22. No discount code needed at checkout, you just need to have six or more bottles in your cart. This discount applies to online orders only; phone-in orders will be subject to normal shipping prices.

July Specials

Wine of the Month - Chardonnay - additional 10% off
3 Pack of the Month - 3 Vynecrest Red for $25.00
(specials available at winery only)

In The Vineyard

The 2012 vintage started for Vynecrest with our annual delivery of Montmorency sour cherries from Peter's Orchard in Carlisle, Pa. The cherries are fermenting in the cellar now.

In the vineyard, we are busy removing excess leaves and shoots from the vines. Soon we will have to start hedging and dropping some of the fruit from the vines.

Upcoming events

• July 19 - Macungie Farmer's Market, Memorial Park, 4 - 7 pm
• July 21 - Live music in the Vyneskeller, Billy Bauer, 1:30-4:30 pm
• July 26 - Macungie Farmer's Market, Memorial Park, 4pm - 7 pm
• July 28 & 29 - Wine on the Mountain, Penn's Peak
• July 28 - Live music in the Vyneskeller, Gary Reed, 1:30-4:30 pm
• July 29 - Jazz Sunday - Live Jazz music in the Vyneskeller with Andy & Dan, 12:30-3:30pm; Vineyard & Winery Tour with the winemaker, 1 pm, $5 per person
• August 2 - Macungie Farmer's Market, Memorial Park, 4 pm - 7 pm
• August 4 - Live music in the Vyneskeller, Billy Bauer, 1:30-4:30 pm

Glass Half Empty

Starting this month, our newsletter will feature a quirky inside look at the wine business from one of the the four partners. We sometimes get so bogged down in the day-to-day duties that we forget to mention some of the most interesting things that go on around here. Some of these things are insightful, some are depressing and some are just downright funny. So here is the first installment of "Glass Half Empty" which is aptly titled since our best ideas usually occur at the end of the day after a glass or three...


By Sam Landis

We were just at the Split Rock Wine Festival in the Poconos a few weeks ago and I am always shocked at not only the outfits I see (or lack there of), but the wide range of consumer preferences of wine. Red, white, sweet, dry, blah blah blah... but as we get into the dog days of summer and the thermostat starts rising, wine temperature has always intrigued me.

We try to serve our white wines and sweeter reds as cold as possible for obvious reasons during the summer. I even know of some people (actually a lot) who put ice cubes in their wine. Some would scoff at this idea, but from my point of view if that's your preference, go for it. Who cares what people think? It's YOUR wine.

I wanted to share a little tidbit I have with one wine in particular, Chardonnay. I was in the wine cellar a few weeks ago talking with Malachi and we both got into how, for whatever reason, we enjoy drinking our Chardonnay and other Chardonnays room temperature. Because of the fact that most Chardonnays go through Malolactic fermentation and are usually aged on oak, when they are chilled down they get stripped of a lot of these unique characteristics.

So give it a shot next time you're at a barbeque or having friends over. Try some Chardonnay head-to-head - one chilled and one room temp - and see what you think. It might just be something that you're missing out on....or you might just go grab some ice cubes immediately! Either way who cares? It's YOUR wine!